Background

Marine Academy of Science & Technology (MAST) students have the option to design and develop a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV)₁ for the MATES ROV Competition, as an aspect of the Systems Engineering II curriculum – the Capstone Design Project. Considering that the definition of Systems Engineering is to address the integration of the many subsystems that comprise the larger system, students work as system engineers on three-man teams to design and integrate various components (vehicle structure, propulsion/electrical system, manipulator system) that must function together in an effective and efficient manner in order to develop the “big picture” (design and develop a ROV). In the end, the ROV project results from the MATE Center and the Marine Technology Society’s ROV Committee, which organizes the annual MATE ROV Competition. The competition aims to simulate real world ROV application by having students assemble an ROV to cover tasks from deploying instruments, take sensor readings, and collect samples of geologic features, as well as organisms. Precisely, the event replicates the Loihi seamount, an active undersea volcano that rises more than 3,000 meters above the seafloor.

₁ A Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) is fundamentally an underwater robot that is controlled by an operator that is independent of the vehicle, from the surface that allows the operator to remain out of harm’s way while the ROV works in the hazardous environment below. The total ROV system is comprised of the vehicle, control, umbilical cord (tether), and power supplies. Basic features on an ROV include: thrusters, cameras, various sensors and/or tools. ROVs can vary in size depending on the work, from small vehicles for simple observation up to complex work systems, which can have several manipulators, cameras, tools, and other equipment.  

Figure 1: An industrial Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).

The basic concept of designing ROVs was to eliminate the human factor in underwater tasks. First developed for industrial purposes, such as inspections of pipelines, ROVs are now used for many applications, many of them being scientific. They have become an essential part of progressing industries and science.

In this specific situation, the testing will be conducted in a freshwater pool. The objectives of the competition include basic camera observations, as well as performing tasks such as navigating through a tunnel and turning, and grabbing objects and relocating them.